Predicting Fear of Terrorism Following the Indirect Exposure to October 7th Hamas Attack Against Israel Through Psychological Distance: The Mediating Role of Self-Labeling
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study examines a model predicting fear of terrorism following the October 7th attack on Israel. Grounded in construal-level theory (CLT), which highlights the significance of psychological distance (PD), this study explores the relationship between PD and fear of terrorism. It also investigates the mediating roles of negative self-labels (NSL; e.g., victim, indirect victim, harmed, spared) and positive self-labels (PSL; e.g., survivor, fighter, winner, overcomer). The online survey included Israeli civilians ( N = 844) aged 18 to 90 ( M = 40.34, SD = 14.87), with a nearly even gender distribution (48.9% female, 51.1% male). The majority (88.3%) were not directly exposed to the October 7th attack. The participants answered questions regarding their demographic background, perceived distance/closeness to the victims of the October 7th attack, NSL and PSL in the context of the attack, and fear of terrorism. The results indicated that our model for predicting fear of terrorism explained 30% in the variance of fear of terrorism, with NSL emerging as the most substantial contributor. Furthermore, both NSL and PSL mediated the relationship between PD and the fear of terrorism. Regarding the theoretical contribution, this study expands the application of the CLT by revealing that PD regarding the direct victims of a terrorist act can explain fear of terrorism in a population whose exposure to the attack was indirect. Furthermore, the discussion explores potential interpretations that may explain why the NSL more strongly contributed to predicting fear of terrorism than PSL and suggests that PSL plays a protective role since it reduces fears of terrorism.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Interpersonal Violence is devoted to the study and treatment of victims and perpetrators of interpersonal violence. It provides a forum of discussion of the concerns and activities of professionals and researchers working in domestic violence, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual assault, physical child abuse, and violent crime. With its dual focus on victims and victimizers, the journal will publish material that addresses the causes, effects, treatment, and prevention of all types of violence. JIV only publishes reports on individual studies in which the scientific method is applied to the study of some aspect of interpersonal violence. Research may use qualitative or quantitative methods. JIV does not publish reviews of research, individual case studies, or the conceptual analysis of some aspect of interpersonal violence. Outcome data for program or intervention evaluations must include a comparison or control group.